Dropping body fat is the result of a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, the wisdom that you can’t out-train a bad diet is absolutely true; nutrition plays a larger role than exercise in regards to how much fat your body carries.
Maintaining the same fat-loss plan for a while can slow down your progress and create a plateau. As your body becomes accustomed to calorie deficits and healthier eating, it starts to fight back by slowing your metabolism. So if you’ve fallen into a fat-loss plateau, try a some of the following fat-loss hacks to break through.
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Time Your Nutrition
Increase your protein intake at breakfast by at least 20 grams. Research shows that eating a high-protein breakfast keeps you feeling fuller for longer, reducing snacking and cravings throughout the day. Rise and dine: We recommend eating eggs, Greek yogurt, or other protein-rich options at breakfast.
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Keep the Fats
Dietary fats are important for healthy bodily functions like hormone regulation, fat metabolism, and energy production. If you are trying to lose body fat and have been on a low-fat diet for a while, try slightly upping your healthy fat intake.
Just make sure you skip the refined, processed fats and that you stick to healthier fat options like olive oil and coconut oil, avocados, yogurts, and nuts.
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Cut the Coffee Creamer
Caffeine from coffee can be a great, all-natural pre-workout or pick-me-up while at work. However, loading your coffee with sugar and cream can be detrimental to your fat-loss efforts. So next time you reach for a cup of Joe, try adding cinnamon. It’s the perfect substitute for creamers, sugar, and artificial sweeteners. Not only will you save a few calories by skipping the creamer, but your coffee will also taste delicious and festive.
Additionally, cinnamon has some amazing health benefits. Studies show that cinnamon has antihyperglycemic properties, which means it can help regulate blood sugar levels.
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Drink a Protein Shake Before Bed
Studies show ingesting protein immediately before sleep helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis and improves total-body protein balance while your body recovers at night.
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Practice IIFYM
There’s no better way to break down your nutrition than into balanced macronutrient ratios. If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) is a popular nutrition system that tracks the amount of calories you eat by carbs, proteins, and fats. Making small adjustments to the amount of each macro you eat on a daily basis can lead to a greater fat loss potential.
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Eat Slowly
Chew your food! Eating slower can significantly lower the amount of food and energy you consume during a meal. Reducing the rate at which you eat will also help you achieve a greater state of fullness—leaving you with fewer cravings after a meal.
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Drink More Water
Do you have a big dinner coming up and want to watch how much you eat? Simply drink a full glass of water before the meal. Not only is proper hydration key for fat loss, but this technique will also help prevent overeating.
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Practice Meal Prep Sundays
It’s hard to cheat when you have your meals lined up each week. Try an easy meal prep plan and bring your own lunches and snacks to work. By planning out your meals and snacks for the day, it will be easier to stay on track and on top of your fat-loss efforts.
This article was written by our friends at Pretty Fit.
